Wondering how to pause in Elden Ring? The following guide will explain just how to do that even though the game lacks a traditional pause system.
Can you Pause in Elden Ring?
The Souls games by developer FromSoftware are known for being dauntingly difficult, which stands to be a reason why they have never received a pause mechanism in order to maintain that brutal level of gameplay.
Elden Ring in a similar fashion has no pause option, but you can still do so in a not-so traditional way.
As already stated, ER does not allow you to pause. Hence, adding to the overall challenge of the game. If you lose concentration by only a bit or put down your controller for any reason, you risk being doomed. Owing to this fact, you’ll have to keep your guard up at all times in the game.
Although there is no pause option in ER, at least not in the conventional sense, there are however a few things you can do to deal with it.
Take note that opening the menu is not an option here because it will not pause the game. Instead, the game will continue to run in the background and you will most likely be taken out by enemies. The good thing is that you can control your character while the menu is open.
Offline Pause
You can pause the game when playing offline by suspending your PS5 system. When you return, you’ll be able to pick up right where you left off. This appears to work likewise for an Xbox.
Online Pause
The pausing mechanics for online play are quite different. If you’re playing online and need to pause the game, your best bet is to use the autosave feature. You can use the autosave to save your progress and then quit the game.
However, to pull this off you’ll need a combination of seven button presses on a controller. Simply press start, then up, then A, then LB, then A, then left, and then A.
Literal Pause
Aside from these two options, you can use another simple technique to pause the game for a minute or so to take a break for whatever reason. This method is not flawless, but it appears to work for the most part.
Set your character to a safe location, such as near a site of a merchant, and then take a literal pause. Although it is not the best technique, it does the job. This does not prevent an invading enemy from approaching you, so use it at your own risk.
That’s all there is to know about how to pause in Elden Ring. Use this knowledge to your advantage to make the most out of the game.
